Car construction



Oct 22, 1946'. D.' HlNDAl-u.. 2,4095856 CAI-1 CONSTRUGTIQN Filed nec. 16, 1944 4 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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Filed Dec. 16', 1944 4 sheets-sheet 4 VENTOIL Patented Oct. 22, 1946 AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR CONSTRUCTION David Hindahl, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 16, 1944, Serial No. 568,416

' This invention relates to improvements in dump cars of the'type having discharge hoppers and control doors for the hoppers which selectively direct the discharge of the lading either inwardly between the rails of the track or outwardly beyond the rails of the track.

It is an object of this invention to provide a dump car of the type referred to, which is better adapted for use both as an ordinary hopper car and as a ballast car for discharging ballast along the tracks inwardly and outwardly of the rails.

Whereas dump cars of certain constructions now in use are employed both for carrying various types of lading, such as coal and the like, in' the manner of ordinary hopper cars and at the' same time for carrying ballast for discharge inwardly and outwardly of the rails of the track, certain structural characteristics of such cars adapting them for such dual use have resulted in a sacrice of certain advantages which would otherwise be attainable,` especially in the use of such cars as hopper cars.

The sacrifice of one advantage is due to the fact that when used as ballast cars, the hoppers must have relatively long discharge openings with controlling doors pivotedon axes extending longitudinally of the car in order that the lading may be selectively directed either inside or outside of the rails. Thus when cars so constructed are used as ordinary hopper cars, and the lading is discharged into receiving bins, the discharge openings are too long to adjust the flow of the lading to the usual receiving openings in the track provided at freight yards, unloading stations, coal bins and the like. The customary openings in the track now in common use for receiving lading from hopper cars are usually relatively short and are adjusted in length to the transverse discharge opening type of hopper.

In applicants prior Patent No. 2,152,885 there is disclosed and claimed an improved type of dump car having hopper and door constructions which discharge lading both inwardly and outwardly of the rails of the track, and which provide relatively short discharge hopper outlets which readily accommodate themselves to the receiving openings in the track, now in common use in freight yards, coal b ins, and like places.

The doors of the dump car shown in applicants Patent No. 2,152,885 consist of the main door which is adapted to discharge the lading inwardly of the rails of the track, and 4a secondary door carried by the frame of the main door which is adapted to discharge the lading outwardly? of the rails ofthe track. However, in said patented 5 Claims. (Cl. 105-281) 2 n construction theentire door is located between depending aprons disposed at the ends of the hoppers, and whereas the patented structure constitutes a marked advance over car constructions prior thereto and is highly satisfactory in use, it nevertheless includes as an unavoidable feature the disposition of the end frame beams of the main door in the discharge openings so that when the secondary doors are opened to effect a discharge of lading outside of the rails of the track, these beams to some extent obstruct the free ow of lading at the ends of the hopper openings.

Accordingly, it is now found desirable to provide an improved construction which employs a modified and diierent type ofdoor which re moves the main door frame members from the space between the depending aprons, or, in other words, removes all portions of the door frame from the discharge space provided by the hopper openings. Itis also desirable to locate the end frame beams outside .of the hopper aprons so that such beams will be removed from contact with the lading and thus be protected from erosion which would otherwise occur when lading such as coal and gravel are being handled.

Accordingly, it is a` further object of this invention to provide an improved car construction of the general type disclosed and claimed in applicahts Patent No. 21,152,835 but which diiers therefrom in that a clearl and unobstructed discharge space is provided at all times Ibetween the aprons of the hopper openings, and the end frame beams of the main door are located outside of the hopper aprons instead of between the hopper aprons.

As above pointed out, it is not practical to increase` the length of the hopper openings because such change-would destroy the desired conformity between the lengths -of the hoppers `and the receiving openings now in common use in freight yards, coal bins,V and like places,v and therefore, in order to provide the maximum space for discharge, it is necessaryto remove the end frame beams of the main door out of the path of flow of the lading when the same is being discharged, and provide a new construction forthe doors which will give the desired results while having its end frame beams disposed outside of the aprons. rlhe advantages of this invention are of real value with all types of lading, suchas coal, sand, gravel, ore and others, but it is particularly advantageous when the cars are used for handling sugar beets which, for the best results,rrequi're the widest possible discharge open-' 111g,Y r

As hereinafter more specifically pointed out, the objects and advantages of this invention are realized by providing an improved door construction which has the side or supporting frame members for the main door located beyond or outside of the depending aprons of the hopper, and providing a secondary door which occupies the entire space between the opposed apron members. n

Other objects of this invention, not lspecifically enumerated, will readily appear to one skilled' in the art as the following description proceeds.

This invention will bebetter understood by referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment thereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a railway car constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View in elevation of the car shown in Figure 1, disclosing the doors adjusted for discharging the lading between the rails.

Figure 3 is a similar fragmentary transverse sectional View in elevation of the same car showing the doors adjusted for discharging the lading to the sides of the rails.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the same car disclosing the inside structure of the hoppers; and

Figure 5 is a perspective View, with portions broken away, of one of the doors utilized in the embodiment of this invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, and also illustrating the associated aprons which depend from the ends of the corresponding hopper.

. 'Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that this invention is illustrated as embodied in a car having a center sill I0 and side sills II, which form the main supporting framework for the body of the car. The car body consists of side walls I3, en d walls I4 and end slope sheets I5 which direct the lading of the car centrally to the hopper openings I6 shown in Figure 4. Overlying the center sill is the usual inverted V shedding plate I'I and on the outside of the two hoppers I6 are shedding surfaces I8. At the central portion of the car or at the' location between adjacent hoppers are shedding surfaces I9, which with the sloping surfaces 20 depending from the center sill and the above-mentioned shedding surfaces and plates constitute the hoppers of the car. It is an important factor that the hopper openingsl I5 extend longitudinally and are adapted to be equipped with the primary and secondary door'constructions for selectively discharging the lading inwardly or outwardly-of the' tracks and yet at the same time serve satisfactorily as ordinary hopper cars for discharging lading into the relatively short receiving openings now provided in the tracks at freight yards, coal bins and the like.

1 Referring particularly to Figures Z and 3, it will be noted that adjacent the lower edges of the center sill I0 there are the above-mentioned sloping surfaces 2U extending downwardly on an incline which are reinforced at their lower edges by angle members 22, against which the main doors abut in closed position. The lower edges of the angle reinforcements 22 lie in a plane disposed at an angle and are determined bythe corner'points IUD and the hinge axes 24 of the doorsf25. v

, -As-clearly shown in Figure 1, adjacent the two endsvgof each .hopper is a` depending apron 3D which extends downwardly a sucient distance,

to prevent the lading from spilling outwardly l crack-closing members 42'! are provided, secured to its associated apron 30.' These members 21 have flanges 2| at their lower edges which serve as reinforcements and which also serve as small sills against which the secondary doors abut at each end when they are in closed position.

The details of the composite door assemblies are best shown in Figures 3 and 5. The main door 25 comprises a body plate 39 to which the link connecting members 40 are secured. The plates 39 are supported and stiffened by the longitudinally extending Z bar 4I and the channel iron 42. The ends of the bars and plates are Asecured tothe channel iron frame members 43V which carry the hinge members 44 at their free ends. The frame members 43, located outside the aprons, correspond to the frame members 40 of my prior patent Where they are located inside the aprons. The hinge members 44 intert with hinge pins 24 carried by the lcar as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The link connecting members 4D are connected by links 45 to the operating shaft 46 in a conventional manner.

The secondary doors 48 comprises plates 49 Whichge supported on angle irons 50 and which have their outer edges stiffened and supported by Z bars 5I, Hinge members 52 carried by the angle irons 50 connect to hinge brackets 53 carried by the channel irons 42 of the main doors; Brackets 54 on the under sides of the door plates 49 serve as connecting means for the'ends of chains 55 which pass up over shafts 55 by rotation of which the secondary doors may be raised and lowered in a conventional manner.

As clearly shown in Figure 5, the secondary door plate 49 is of such length as to fully close the opening between the hopper aprons 30, and the arms 43 of the main door section extend closely adjacent the outer faces of the aprons 30.

Thedoor assembly is operated to open the en- 0 tire assembly by rotating shaft 46 in the clockwise direction to the position shown in Figure 2.

In this position the lading of the car is discharged toward the center of the car and the entire length of the opening between the aprons 30 is unob- 55 structed by the door.

To discharge the lading laterally of the tracks,

the secondary doors are opened as shown in Figure 3 by rotating the left hand shaft 56 in the counter-clockwise direction while the right hand 0 shaft 56 is rotated in the clockwise direction. In this position also the entire length of the discharge opening between the aprons 30 is unobstructed since the arms 43 of the main doorl are located outside the aprons. This construction is, therefore, an improvement on that of my prior Patent No. 2,152,885 in that, for discharge either inside or outside the tracks, the full length of the discharge opening is clear of door parts and fully available for free discharge of the lading of the car. With either type 5 While Ihave shown one preferred embodiment of my invention by way of example, it is capable of change and modiiication to meet diifering conditions and requirements and I contemplate such variations as come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A car of the character described having a plurality of longitudinally disposed hoppers, said hoppers having longitudinally extending discharge openings, downwardly extending aprons at the ends of the discharge openings, a door construction for each said opening, the door construction comprising a main door and a secondary door, the main door being pivotally supported by the car and the secondary door being pivotally supported by the main door, the secondary door extending the full distance between the inner faces of the aprons and the main door having frame members located beyond the outer faces of the aprons, the downwardly extending aprons extending downwardly below the level of the doors when the doors are in the closed position and serving when the doors are opened to limit endwise flow of material from the doors.

2. A dump car comprising a center sill and a longitudinally extending hopper on each side of the center sill, said hoppers having discharge openings, aprons extending downwardly at each end of the hopper openings, main and secondary doors for the hoppers adapted to selectively discharge lading either toward or away from the longitudinal center of the car, said main door member comprising a body portion and frame members extending outwardly of the aprons and pivotally secured to the car, and said secondary pivotally connected to the body of the main door and having its ends closely adjacent the inner faces of the aprons, the downwardly extending aprons extending downwardly below the level of the doors when the doors are in the closed position and serving when the doors are opened to limit endwise ow of material from the doors.

3. A dump car comprising a center sill and a longitudinally extending hopper on each side of the center sill, said hoppers having discharge openings, aprons extending downwardly at each end of the hopper openings, main and secondary doors for the hoppers adapted to selectively discharge lading either toward or away from the longitudinal center of the car, said main door member comprising a body portion and frame members extending outwardly of the aprons and pivotally secured to the car, and said secondary pivotally connected to the body of the main door, having its ends closely adjacent the inner faces of the aprons, and having a width such as to completely close the hopper openings, the downwardly extending aprons extending downwardly below the level of the doors when the doors are in the closed position and serving when the d-oors are opened to limit endwise flow of material from the doors.

4. A dump car comprising a center sill and hopper on each side of the center sill, said hop pers each having discharge openings, aprons extending downwardly from each end of the hopper openings, composite door assemblies for said hopper openings comprising main doors and secondary doors, the main doors comprising frame members extending outwardly adjacent the outer faces of the aprons and body portions connecting the arms and extending longitudinally of the car inwardly of the hopper opening, the frame members being pivotally connected to the car beyond the lateral outer edge of the hopper opening, and the secondary door covering the distance between the inner faces of the aprons and being pivotally secured to the main door body adjacent the inner edge of the hopper opening, the downwardly extending aprons comprising vertical plates.` extending downwardly between and below the frame members of the primary door and the secondary door when said doors are closed and serving to limit endwise flow of material from the doors when either do-or is in the open position.

5. A dump car comprising a center` sill and hopper on each side of the center sill, said hoppers each having discharge openings, aprons extending downwardly from each end of the hopper openings, composite door assemblies for said hopper openings comprising main doors and secondary doors, the main doors comprising frame members extending outwardly adjacent the outer faces of the aprons and body portions connecting the arms and extending longitudinally of the car inwardly of the hopper opening, the frame members being pivotally connected to the car beyond the lateral outer edge of the hopper opening, the secondary door covering the distance between the inner faces of the aprons and being pivotally secured to the main door body adjacent the inner edge of the hopper opening, means adjacent the center sill for raising and lowering the inner edges of the composite door assembly, and means adjacent the outer edge of the car for raising and lowering the outer edge of the secondary door, the

downwardly extending aprons comprising vertical plates extending downwardly between and below the frame members of the primary door and the secondary door when said doors are closed and serving to limit endwise ow of material from the doors when either door is in the open position.

DAVID HIN'DAHL. 

